Stang

I’m thrilled! Yesterday, I finished pyrography on a stang for one of my students, and he’s approved the work, so I’m shipping it to him asap. (Pyrography is the art of burning designs in wood.)

I’ve been wanting to make this stang for him for months. I received it last year from a friend who suggested I burn designs onto it, and I’ve been chomping at the bit waiting to do so. I’ve almost no time for wood-burning because shamanic teaching and counseling keep me busy. But I’m on semi-vacation right now, so am indulging in all the pyrography I can.

A stang can be placed on the altar to represent the Horned God or when you’re working with male energy or on male concerns. The Horned God, Who is often called the Green God, resides in nature, so brings us Nature’s powers. He also confers potency, confidence, and the coupling of passion with integrity.

I wasn’t going to burn the back of the stang because the wood is so beautiful there, but I noticed a knot that was a perfect eye. I just had to woodburn a eye around it. An eye is a protection symbol. How nice to get to add that energy to the stang! And, in some cultures, an eye symbolizes and relates to the sun, which felt perfect for a talisman with Horned God power since He has a strong solar aspect.

A stang can also be used just like a wand.

The stangs I’ve seen have all been atop a full-length staff instead of the smaller handle shown here. But I like this piece because it takes up less space, so it can be put on the altar and is more portable.

What my friend sent me was not actually a stang but a weaving tool: a lucet. It is a tool to make cords. Often, a lucet has a hole in between the two horns but not all of them have that hole. Wouldn’t it be lovely magic to use an item with all this Horned God energy to weave a cord? And how clever of my friend to think of turning a lucet into a stang!

I really enjoyed blessing this piece for my wonderful student. I like to add beautiful Faerie mojo on the talismans I make.

To my friend who’ll be receiving the stang, here are easy care instructions for your talismans: Keep dry. If your talismans get dirty, wipe with a barely damp rag, but only as a last resort. Dampness brings up the wood’s fibers, making the surface less smooth and blurring pyrography. Instead, clean by putting on a gentle wood treatment, such as a nice beeswax and oil blend, without rubbing it in, and then wipe it off before it has a chance to soak in. To keep the wood from drying out, you can use the same wood treatment product occasionally, but allow it to soak in and sit for a while before a gentle rub.

I love making wood charms and the benefits they provide folks. I don’t have time to accept many commissions for them and decided that was a synchronicity. So to go with the flow, I am making talismans only for people traveling alongside me. That feels true to who I am and my magic right now. Commissions are available to my students and newsletter subscribers only, when I have time.

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